On the wedding day, my wife was abnormal

It was midsummer and Guangling City welcomed its Dragon Boat Festival.

The air is filled with the bitter aroma of calamus and mugwort, mixed with the glutinous fragrance of steamed rice dumplings in every household.

On the canal, the drumbeats of dragon boat races could already be faintly heard, and the whole city was immersed in a lively and ancient festive atmosphere.

Murong Yan stood in the corridor of the palace, looking at the colorful boats on the canal in the distance, her eyes showing great interest.

She had changed into a dress that suited the occasion. It was a fresh, soft, emerald green silk, light and breathable, making her look especially cool in the summer sun.

On the hem of the skirt and cuffs, gold and alizarin red threads are cleverly embroidered into a lifelike pattern of a phoenix flying between pomegranate flowers and the five poisonous patterns (toad, scorpion, snake, centipede, and gecko). The pattern is both gorgeous and unique, and fits the meaning of the Dragon Boat Festival to drive away evil spirits and avoid poison.

Around her waist was a finely woven multicolored silk ribbon with long tassels hanging down.

She did not wear her hair in a complicated bun, and her black hair was half tied up with a small phoenix hairpin made of red gold and kingfisher feathers inserted diagonally. The phoenix held a colorful "baisuozi" pompom made of silk thread in its mouth, which swayed gently in the wind, adding a bit of playfulness and liveliness to her.

This outfit made her look more like a noble lady out for an outing rather than a majestic empress.

"Husband," she turned her head to look at Lin Zhen approaching, her tone light, "Today is the Dragon Boat Festival, Guangling has a custom of dragon boat racing and duck grabbing, let's go and watch the fun, okay?"

There was a glimmer of anticipation in her eyes, like a girl longing for the outside world.

Lin Zhen was also dressed in a moon-white robe today, looking even more handsome and elegant. He smiled and nodded, "Since Yan'er is so interested, I'll naturally accompany you. I heard the Guangling dragon boat race is very intense, and there's even a live duck scramble in the water. It's quite interesting."

Musk Moon added with a smile, "Madam, Master, I've also heard that there's the largest Dragon Boat Festival market in the south of the city. Besides selling all kinds of rice dumplings and calamus wine, they also sell realgar pouches, colorful silk threads, and mugwort tiger dolls. It's incredibly lively!"

"Then let's go and take a look!" Murong Yan was in even greater spirits and walked out first. The hem of her emerald green skirt brushed against the threshold, and the embroidered phoenix and pomegranate flowers on it seemed to come alive.

The three of them still traveled light and blended into the crowds of people during the festival.

Calamus and mugwort are hung in front of every house on both sides of the street. Children have the word "king" painted on their foreheads with realgar wine, and colorful silk threads tied around their wrists and ankles, running around laughing.

The sounds of hawking, laughter and dragon boat drums are intertwined together, full of vibrant vitality.

Murong Yan was dazzled by the sight. Sometimes she stopped to look at the various Aihu puppets on the stalls, and sometimes she expressed curiosity about the rice dumplings with pointed corners and different fillings.

Lin Zhen patiently explained to her the origins of various folk customs, and occasionally bought one or two small items and handed them to her.

Musk Moon's hands were quickly filled with various snacks and toys.

When we arrived at the canal, there were even more people.

On the wide river, dozens of dragon boats are decorated in various colors, with different dragon heads carved on the bows, making them look lifelike.

The oarsmen shouted in unison and paddled vigorously to the beat of the drums. The dragon boats shot through the water like arrows, chasing each other in a spectacular and intense scene. The onlookers on both sides of the river cheered and the noise was deafening.

Murong Yan was infected by the warm atmosphere and couldn't help but tiptoe slightly, following the leading green dragon boat with a smile on her lips.

"Look! It's time to release the ducks!" someone shouted.

A small boat sailed to the middle of the river, and the man on the boat dumped a large cage of live ducks into the river. Suddenly, hundreds of ducks flapped their wings and fled in all directions on the water.

"The duck hunt begins!"

The dragon boats that were originally racing immediately changed their strategy. The rowers controlled the dragon boats flexibly to chase the ducks. The men at the bow who were responsible for grabbing the ducks saw the right moment, leaned over, reached out their hands, and grabbed the panicked ducks from the water, which drew cheers and good-natured laughter from both sides of the river.

"It's really unique." Murong Yan found it interesting and couldn't help but chuckle.

Just then, an accident happened.

A red dragon boat chasing a duck suddenly swung its tiller to avoid the boat in front, causing the boat to tilt and shake violently. A young man standing at the bow, about to grab the duck, was caught off guard and fell into the river with a "plop"!

He was obviously not a good swimmer. He panicked after falling into the water. Coupled with the water current stirred up by the dragon boat, he choked on water several times. He flapped his hands around and was about to sink.

"Someone fell into the water!"

"Hurry up and save people!"

There was a sudden cry of surprise from the shore, but the water was so turbulent with dragon boats crisscrossing that no one jumped into the water to help.

Murong Yan's face darkened, and she almost subconsciously took a step forward.

Lin Zhen reacted very quickly. He gently held her arm and whispered, "Don't worry, I'll go." Before he finished speaking, he quickly took off his outer robe, handed it to Musk Moon, then rushed to the shore and jumped into the river!

He moved as swiftly as a dragon, entered the water silently, and swam quickly towards the struggling person who fell into the water.

Everyone on shore was instantly drawn to the sudden appearance of the young man in white. He was an excellent swimmer, and in a few strokes he quickly reached the man, dodging his frantic flailing arms. He skillfully grasped his armpits from behind, lifting his mouth and nose above the water. Then, he calmly swam him towards the nearest shore.

Murong Yan clenched her hands tightly, her eyes following Lin Zhen in the water until she saw him safely dragging the person ashore. Only then did she secretly breathe a sigh of relief. She walked quickly forward.

The drowning man was rescued and brought ashore. He coughed up a few mouthfuls of water, looked pale and terrified. His companions and the people on the shore gathered around him.

"Thank you very much, sir! Thank you very much for saving our lives!" The rowers on the dragon boat and the family of the person who fell into the water thanked Lin Zhen again and again.

Lin Zhen was soaking wet, his moon-white gown clinging to his body, outlining his tall figure. His hair was dripping with water, but he didn't look disheveled at all. Instead, he exuded a kind of uninhibited heroism. He waved his hand, his tone calm, "It's just a small favor. I'm glad you're okay."

At this moment, Murong Yan had already walked over and taken a clean towel from Sheyue's hand. She naturally and carefully wiped the water droplets off Lin Zhen's face, completely ignoring the gazes of the people around them. Her eyes were filled with concern and a hint of nervousness. "Husband, are you okay? Is the river water cold?"

This natural and intimate gesture and the call of "husband" made the people around them immediately understand the relationship between the two, and they couldn't help but look at them with envy and admiration.

"What a loving couple with talent and beauty!"

"This young man is really good at swimming and has a kind heart!"

"This lady also cares about her husband very much..."

Lin Zhen held her hand and smiled slightly: "It's okay, the river water is just right to relieve the summer heat. Yan'er, don't worry."

The rescued young man regained his breath and struggled to his feet, ready to thank her again. Murong Yan said gently, "Stop being so polite and get some rest. Be careful when working on the water in the future."

Her gentle words and noble demeanor evoked a fondness and respect from the crowd. Someone recognized Lin Zhen and Murong Yan as the noble couple who had appeared at the market a few days earlier and helped someone get justice. The news spread quickly, and the people's gazes were filled with curiosity and admiration.

At this moment, the captain of the red dragon boat came over, holding a large, still-flailing duck, his face filled with shame and gratitude. "Master, Madam, thank you so much for saving our people! This... this is the first duck we just snatched. It's the fattest and most auspicious. We present it to you, Master and Madam, as a token of our gratitude. Please accept it!"

According to custom, the ducks grabbed by the dragon boats symbolize good luck and a good harvest, and the head duck is extremely auspicious.

Lin Zhen looked at Murong Yan. Murong Yan looked at the frightened fat duck, then looked at the warm and simple faces of the people around her. She couldn't help but smile and nodded slightly to Lin Zhen.

Lin Zhen then took the duck and said with a smile, "Thank you for your kindness. Let us share in the joy of the dragon boat race."

There was a burst of cheers and applause all around.

Murong Yan signaled Sheyue to take out some silver and give it to the rowers of the dragon boat as a reward to compensate them for their loss and to encourage them to keep up the good work. This move won the favor of everyone.

The couple stayed for a while, asked about the condition of the person who fell into the water, and after confirming that he was fine, they left under the friendly gaze of the people.

Lin Zhen's clothes were soaking wet, so the three of them decided to return to the palace. Murong Yan walked beside him, occasionally glancing over at his wet appearance. Remembering his nimble figure just now, leaping into the water without hesitation, she felt a mixture of fear and an indescribable sense of security and pride.

The sunlight shone on both of them. The phoenix pattern on her emerald green dress sparkled brightly, and his soaked white shirt gradually began to evaporate with a fine vapor.

"Husband," she said softly, her tone gentle, "my heart almost jumped out of my chest when you jumped."

Lin Zhen turned his head to look at her, his eyes deep and gentle: "Did you get scared? But the situation was urgent..."

"I know." Murong Yan interrupted him and shook her head gently, "I know you will do this. My husband is a hero who stands tall and is kind-hearted." As she spoke, she reached out her hand and gently held his slightly cold palm.

Lin Zhen held her hand tightly with his backhand, interlocking their fingers.

Musk Moon followed behind, looking at the backs of the emperor and empress leaning on each other, with the fat duck as a "thank you gift" in her hand, and couldn't help but smile secretly.

This Dragon Boat Festival was thrilling, lively and interesting.